Connor wasn't sure what brought him back, or even if he was truly awake. One moment he was in blissful darkness, the next there was a steel trap trying to cut through skin, muscle and tendons. For a while, that was the only sensation and Connor couldn't pinpoint the source of the pain. He couldn't even tell where was up and down.
That became easier to guess when he became aware of the rocking motion. His stomach churned threateningly and as soon as he found his center, Connor's mind fully reconnected with the rest of his body.
He took in a harsh breath, feeling like someone sucker punched him. Things hurt and he thought he never felt so miserable in his life before. Not even after a wild drinking binge in Mexico.
Back then, all he had to concede with was a headache and nausea. Right now... there were broken bones and an unrelenting vice on his arm.
"Connor?" A soft voice spoke and he felt a cold hand slip under whatever blanket covered him, wrapping itself around his right wrist.
'Natalie?' Connor thought but couldn't find the strength to actually open his mouth and ask at this point. It was hard enough to breathe without screaming, as every rocking motion sent spikes of pain through his body.
"Is he awake?"
Will's voice from somewhere near his feet. The rocking motion stopped momentarily and that in itself jarred Connor. He grimaced, his right arm twitching as Natalie's fingers curled tighter around his wrist.
"I think he is coming round," Natalie said uncertainly. Connor moved his arm.
"Connor buddy, can you open your eyes?" Ethan's voice, right from above Connor. That puzzled him. It was hard enough to figure out where he was with the world seemingly in a constant motion and his head spinning. Trying to position each of his colleagues under these circumstances just made his nausea and headache grow. Still, he made an attempt at opening his eyes.
For some reason he could feel wetness on his face. Was he crying? Bleeding?
The idea puzzled him, until he felt a drop hit the top of his nose.
Rain, his mind supplied. It was raining.
As if that thought opened the floodgate, Connor's other senses were hit by sounds of the storm, the smell of wet earth and trees, the feeling of cold enveloping him from head to toe.
Connor shivered, wishing for a heavy blanket he could hide under.
But that wasn't possible, was it? Not when he was stuck in the woods, in the middle of a storm.
His mind was hazy about the details, but he did manage to open his eyes to a slit. He was facing the sky, with the dark clouds occasionally colored by a flash of lighting, accompanied by the thunder. Connor twitched as Ethan's face swam in front of him. Whatever he was lying on, it rocked slightly and he felt blood rushing to his head. A groan of protest escaped his lips.
"Careful!" Natalie admonished.
"What's wrong?" Came another voice, sharp and slightly familiar, yet Connor couldn't put a name to it.
"He's awake," Will said.
"Wonderful. But unless his leg suddenly mended itself and he can walk on his own, you better hustle. I'm sure Connor will prefer the shelter of the ambulance before the storm. And I would much prefer not to get hit by a falling tree or lightning."
There was a trickle of grumblings.
"Hold on. Only a bit longer, Connor," Natalie reassured him, as the rocking motion resumed. Connor swallowed, hoping she was right.
He wasn't sure how long it took. Connor kept his eyes closed to keep the rain from them, as well as to will the earth to still. If only for a moment. The nausea kept growing and despite the fog in his mind, he knew it would be hell to get sick.
Finally they reached their goal. At least that's what Connor assumed when he heard Will's excited exclamation of "There!"
The rocking took up pace and Connor gritted his teeth, building up the strength to say something against the growing discomfort. Before he could do that however, there was the sound of a car door opening, another rushed voice and then suddenly, blissfully... no more rain. No more wind.
Only an annoyingly bright overhead light and a suddenly too crammed up space.
Connor forced his eyes open to see where he was and who was literally breathing down his neck.
His vision swam a bit but he recognized the inside of an ambulance.
Relief flooded him.
They made it.
Maybe now he could get some rest and when he woke up he would be in a comfortable bed with all the pain gone.
Connor let the thought lull him slightly, but a flurry of activity jarred him out of that zone. The blanket was taken off of him and he could feel hands running over his wet clothes, pulling and tugging. He heard scissors and before he could even utter a protest there was the cold steel against his skin as his jacket and shirt was being cut open.
Connor made a sound of protest, even swished his right arm in an attempt to stop this attack on his dignity (and favorite jacket), but he seemed to be ignored by all and sundry. Instead his right hand was grasped, sleeve rolled up or cut off, he wasn't even sure at this point.
"We need to start him on fluids," Will's voice sounded somewhere from his feet and Connor frowned. Did the man move at all? And if he was there, who the hell was prodding him?
Despite his wish to fall into sleep, Connor forced his eyes open again to take in his surroundings.
Still in the ambulance of course. The person leaning right over him was Ethan. Connor couldn't really move his head, but he caught sight of Will by the door of the ambulance. It was still open and they were still in one place, which confused him a bit. There was the nagging feeling of time being off essence. Connor couldn't say exactly why he felt the pressure to be on the move, but somewhere in the back of his mind there was a ticking clock and it was getting louder and louder. Adding to the already torturous headache.
"Where-" Connor managed to ask, grimacing at how dry his mouth felt. His tongue darted out to moisten his cracked lips and he let out a frustrated groan. Why was everything taking so long?
"Easy, Connor. You're safe, we made it to the ambulance."
It was Natalie and when Connor frowned in confusion, she leaned over.
Connor blinked.
She must've been sitting behind him somewhere. Connor fought down the urge to strain his neck and look around more. He couldn't have done that even if he wanted and it was a disconcerting feeling, having the neck brace on. Claustrophobic. He hated it.
Another grunt and his right hand reached up towards his neck but it was once again stopped.
"I don't think so buddy. Let's leave that on, at least until we get you settled in a normal bed."
"Not moving yet," Connor pointed out, frustrated. Then he cringed as he felt a needle pierce his skin. He glared at Ethan. The man absolutely ignored him.
"Indeed. What's taking so long?" Ethan asked whilst fiddling with the tubing.
"We needed to wait for Gary and Pete. One of them will have to drive, as I need to be in the back with the patient," Mike plopped in. "You can sit in the front or drive with the others, but I'm afraid there's no space for all of us here," he said to Will. Connor couldn't see but based on the annoyed grumbling, he knew Will wasn't happy.
There was the sound of closing doors and Connor realized that there had still been a breeze before. Breeze and fresh air. Now it just felt crowded and stuffy and it didn't help that there were three people all around him.
The ambulance had swung twice more, followed by the slamming of the front doors as Will and someone else settled there.
He didn't get a chance to ponder as Mike took over Ethan in checking vitals and getting a better look at the various bruises and cuts littering Connor's body.
There was a rush of self-consciousness as Connor realized he was on display in such a state right in front of Natalie and Ethan, but that quickly vanished. They have all seen worse. Even amongst the little familiar group of their shifts. Besides, there was nothing Connor could do about it. When Mike touched his broken leg, to check if there was still good pulse in the limb, Connor took in a ragged breath, biting down on his lip. Determined not to show just how much it hurt.
There was a gentle hand on his shoulder, rubbing soothing circles into the thankfully unmarred skin. Natalie was perhaps subconsciously, muttering calming reassurances near his ear. Connor would have appreciated it more if he was allowed some privacy long enough to let out a string of expletives.
Mike was checking his pelvis and stomach, making sure there was no fracture and consequent bleeding. Ethan was partially in his way, but he didn't budge. Instead, he was messing with something on Connor's left side.
Connor didn't know what he was doing, as the neck brace was blocking his movement, but whatever it was, Connor didn't like it.
There was pressure there, and pain. Lots of pain, though it was a strange sensation. Like something muted, just under the surface. Waiting behind the locked door, ready to attack as soon as the key turned...
The ticking of the clock became louder and louder and Connor felt like an utter idiot when finally he remembered.
"My arm?" He asked and all three people around him paused.
He made an attempt to look to his left, but Natalie had put her hands on both sides of his face.
"Don't," she said, looking him straight in the eyes. "It's alright, Connor. We will take care of it. You just have to stay still and relax-"
Connor scowled, making a feeble attempt at pulling away from her, to check on his arm himself if no one else was doing the job. But either Natalie was far stronger than she looked, or Connor was far weaker after the whole ordeal.
"Ethan? What... you promised!" Connor tried to appeal to his colleague, feeling oddly winded from his struggle. He didn't even notice that Mike and Ethan shared a look.
"Easy brother. Your arm is still there. We will do what we can to keep it that way, but we need you to work with us, alright?"
Connor grunted, his eyes swiping over the inside of the ambulance wildly.
"Still not moving!" He repeated in desperation, his right arm reaching over his chest to the left, grabbing at the tourniquet blindly.
Two pairs of hands pulled his hand away and before he knew it there was a strap securing his right arm to the railing of the stretcher.
His eyes went wide as panic set in and he pulled and twisted his arm, ignoring the pain it brought.
"Connor! Stop it!" Natalie commanded and her raised voice sounded like a firecracker in the small space of the cabin.
The fight went out of Connor as fast as it came.
He slumped back in the bed, breathing heavily. Someone reached over and put an oxygen mask on his face. The smell was stuffy but Connor greedily gulped down the oxygen.
"That's it. Just breathe. You will be alright," Natalie hushed, fingers running over his forehead and brushing away the wet hair. She sounded almost apologetic for her outburst, but soon she turned her attention to the front of the car.
"He is right though. Why aren't we moving?"
"We were waiting for a status report about the bridge. But I think we better move now," Mike said and leaned over, knocking on the window dividing the back from the driver. The window slid open and Pete looked in.
"Fire up the car, Pete," Mike said. "Any word about the road?"
Pete grimaced.
"Looks like its toast for now. We can try head south, but that's two hours to the nearest hospital."
It was Ethan who shook his head.
"We don't have the time for that. He might go into shock or lose his arm."
"You said there is a clinic here?" Natalie asked hopefully.
"Yes. But I'm not sure they are equipped for this-"
"Surely it must be better than trying to patch him up in an ambulance?" Will sounded from the front, annoyance and disbelief seeping from his words.
Mike met Connor's eyes, saw the desperation and pain clouding them. He came to a decision.
"Alright then. Let's go, Pete. We better get out of these woods before a fallen tree blocks our way."
Pete nodded and the engine roared to life. There was no siren, but the lights were blinking to shine ahead, as the sun had already settled.
Connor thought the drive would be kinder than being transported on foot, but sadly that didn't seem to be the case. The wind and rain had knocked down smaller tree limbs, and the road in the woods was far from paved and smooth. As one of the wheels ran over something hard, jostling everything inside, Connor couldn't stop the cry of pain.
He broke it off, biting down on the inside of his lips, but the pain was all too clear for everyone around. His eyes squeezed shut and he forced himself to try and focus purely on breathing. In and out. As slowly as it was possible, trying not to hum in rhythm with the pain.
"This should help some," Mike's voice broke through his misery and Connor felt a trickle of heat inside his right arm, heading up towards his chest. He blinked, looking up with a question.
"Something for the pain," Mike said with an understanding look.
Connor wanted to ask what exactly did he give him, but the heat in his veins turned into soothing warmth and numbness.
His face relaxed and eyes clouded over. The pain was still present, but somehow it felt separated from his being.
Connor enjoyed that feeling with all his might. His eyes slipped close and he almost fell asleep, when the thought of his arm jostled him back into consciousness. His eyes swiped around in panic, but there was a hand brushing his forehead and a soothing voice repeating softly that it will be alright. They will take care of everything. He could rest.
The words were almost lost in the rumble of the engine, but Natalie leaned over and each time Connor forced his eyes open in an attempt to stay awake, she would whisper into his ear soft reassurances.
Finally, he could fight it no more and let the words lull him into the safety of sleep.
Will wasn't sure what he hated more. The feeling of guilt slowly but steadily crawling through his gut or the fact he was basically useless right now. He wanted to be there for Connor, to offer some support. Make sure they didn't miss any hidden injury; that he didn't suffer. Will wanted to make up for the fact they got lost because of his stupidity and recklessness, even though he was willing to share that blame with Ethan and Sharon Goodwin of all. Sharon, because she sent them there. Ethan... well. He felt that the ex-marine should have been able to find the way back to the camp much sooner.
Will had a sinking feeling Ethan was just leading them in circles for the heck of it. The trouble was, Will had no evidence for that, nor did he want to dig for it. What good would that do? Not to mention the little fact that Ethan had climbed down a bloody rock in the middle of a rainstorm to save Connor's life. While all Will did was walked down a short path and waited for help. Then waited some more until they could finally see that Connor was alive, even if banged up. Sure, he had a chance to offer some help by carrying the stretcher, but being relegated to the front seat? That sucked.
Will's worry about Connor coupled with his irritation about Ethan taking over everything made for an unhappy Will. And he couldn't even complain, because it was Pete driving. The muscled guy that barely spoke a word, but looked like he could rip Will in half if he annoyed him too much.
The ambulance jolted as its wheels ran over something unyielding. Will grabbed the side of the door on instinct to brace himself. There was a series of grunts and curses from the back before Mike leaned towards the small open window inside the cabin.
"Try to keep us on the road, will you?" he admonished.
Pete harrumphed, frowning.
"I do try. Not my fault the road is washed out."
"Then slow down a bit," Mike said, sounding none too happy about it. Will knew why. Every minute counted now if they wanted to save Connor's hand. Trouble was, in these weather conditions, speed could be just as much of a killer. For all of them, Will thought as he saw a bolt of lightning pierce the sky in front of them. The crack was loud despite the closed windows and sound of the engine and Will's eyes skirted the woods around, expecting a tree to fall and block their way.
Pete slowed the ambulance down, face almost planted on the front window to try and see the road through the pouring rain. It seemed to have worsened by the minute.
Will grit his teeth, turning away from the road. He peeked through the window, searching out Natalie's eyes.
She was bent over Connor, who albeit asleep, kept making pained noises every time the ambulance ran over something. Natalie was there offering comfort, while Ethan and Mike kept checking his vitals and making sure nothing was being disrupted by the uneven ride.
Will wanted to do something, anything to fix the situation they found themselves in. But his hands were momentarily tied. He couldn't help Connor physically, he couldn't even offer comfort. Natalie was better suited for that anyway.
He thought about trying to get in touch with Connors family at least, but frankly, he didn't have a clue who to contact. His estranged father? Or the sister who was almost as busy as Connor on his best day? Even if he had somehow found their numbers, what good would it do?
Will shook his head, ignoring the questioning look from Pete. No. Connor's family would have to wait. Best if Sharon took care of that anyway... thinking of Sharon Goodwin, Will realized she most likely didn't know what was currently happening.
Will pulled the old cell phone from his pocket then shook off the water. They had all been drenched at some point and Will haven't realized that when he put the phone in his pocket. Grimacing, he hoped it would still work.
Of course, as soon as he brushed the moisture from the display he realized two more things. One... he didn't know Sharon's number from head. Two... back when the rescue team arrived, Statham said something about a cell tower being down. Whatever the case, it was a moot point, because the phone's battery was dead.
Will let out a frustrated sigh. Wonderful. One less thing he could do.
"What's the matter?" Pete asked gruffly, eyes not moving from the road. Will wondered if the man was perpetually pissed or if this was just the way he looked normally.
"Phone doesn't work."
"Signal here sucks even on a good day," Pete admitted. "Who you wanted to call?"
"Our boss, I suppose. Doesn't matter. Not like she can do much right now."
Pete nodded solemnly.
"We are on our own for the day."
Will frowned at that. Surely, the town couldn't be cut off completely?
"This clinic... how many doctors are there?" he asked, suddenly suspicious.
"Well... usually two," Pete said somewhat reluctantly and Will's brow furrowed more.
"Usually?"
Pete shrugged.
"Doc Bernice was at Hillbury's house before the storm hit... Elise was giving birth. Not sure if she made it back to the clinic before the bridge was blocked. Most likely she ended up in Franklin at the hospital."
Will swallowed.
"So... that means one doctor left. For the whole clinic?"
At that, Pete actually pulled his sight away from the road, only for a second. Will couldn't tell if the look he gave him was amused or pitying.
"This is barely a town, Dr. Halstead. The clinic is small... heck, I ain't sure if it can be called that."
Will felt his worry grow and turn into anger.
"Does it even have a surgery? Pharmacist? Hell, a stupid x-ray?"
Pete just shook his head.
"Sorry Doc. Basic needs. All serious cases are sent to Franklin, which is a twenty minute drive. When the bridge is open."
Will cursed.
"Why the hell are we even going there then? We should head for the nearest hospital."
"That would be a two hour drive your friend can't afford," Pete said rather bluntly. "Besides, the lack of doctors shouldn't be an issue, right? I know there is at least three right here."
"What good is it without equipment?"
Pete shrugged.
"We got plenty. Key is not to be stuck in a moving ambulance."
Will didn't have a response to that. Even if he could keep arguing, it wouldn't help their situation, only distract Pete from the road. And the priority now seemed to be clear. Get to the 'clinic' and hope it offered more than just a basic first aid kit with an incapable village GP to boot.
"How much farther?" He asked out loud.
"If the road stays clear, we should be there within twenty minutes."
Will nodded grimly. Twenty more minutes. If they were lucky.
Then the real struggle will start, trying to save Connor's arm.
Will had a feeling they still weren't out of the woods... in either sense of the words. And to think... he had been actually looking forward to this strange trip.
When Sharon Goodwin told them about their 'punishment', for a very short moment Will entertained the notion that Sharon just wanted to play a matchmaker. Because Will and Natalie were at that point of their friendship where it was obvious to everyone around that they were walking on the edge of starting a relationship. Of course, neither of them was about the acknowledge that and things between them just kept complicating. There was an occasional stolen kiss, but also a look of guilt on Natalie's face. As if she was somehow cheating on the memory of a dead man.
Will wasn't sure how long that would last. Or whether she will ever get over it. That didn't stop his rising feelings of desire towards her however, the way her smell made him feel. Or how much frustration their working together caused. Because they kept butting heads over patients, over their own feelings... over everything.
Will hoped these few days would give them a chance to somehow get on the same page, to figure out things. Of course, he didn't count on the presence of his other two colleagues, or on the stupid games Statham planned for all of them.
Instead of a romantic weekend with Natalie, he was now caught in a bad camping comedy that quickly turned into a painful drama. He just hoped it won't end in one of them losing his career or worse - life.
Another flash of light tore through the sky, pulling Will from his thoughts. The car jostled... then suddenly the engine roared and the speed picked up.
The ambulance drove out of the forest and hit the main road. Pete let out a relieved sigh, chancing a look at Will.
"Almost there," the man said and Will thought he caught a twitch of a smile.
He nodded, letting his head rest against the seat for a moment. Perhaps they will make it in time after all.